Curtain light



Aug. l1, 1925. l v 1,549,702

D. M. wlNANs CURTAIN LIGHT Filed Mayy 4. 1923 Patented Aug. 11, 1925..

UNITED STATES PATENT emes..

DANIEL M. WINANS, 0F BINGHAMTON,

NEW YOR'K, ASSIGNOB; T0 THE BREWER,-

OF NEW YORK.

CURTAIN LIGHT.

Application inea May 4, 19'23. serial Nb. @c6594.

TQ all whom t may conce/mt.' Y

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. VINANS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the. county`of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Curtain Lights, of which the following is aspecification. y This invention relates to that class of' vehiclecurtain lights employing complementary inner and outer metallic framesdetachably 'secured together, which grip the fabric ofthe curtain andthe window pane or light between them. Various constructions of lightholding frames of this general class are now known to the art, beingparticularly adapted for use on the tops and curtains of automobiles.

Sonie autoinobile t'ops have linings, while others are unlined; somehave large and heavy windows and lights, whileothers, particularly onthe more'l moderately priced cars, einploy panes which are of lighterweight. i

While not restricting the present invention t'o iv'eights or dimensions,it is, nevertheless, more particularly adapted for use in connectionwith curtains where the purpose is not t'o blind in or cover the panelioldin'g means as is desired on high priced automobiles but where the'desideratum is the provision of a light', strong, durable, andrelatively inexpensive pane or window holder which may be quickly andeasily applied to the curtain, or removed therefrom when a new pane hasto be substituted, having novel means for gripping the curtain fabric insuch manner Ythat puckering, Vslippage, or pulling out of the fabricfrom the frame will be prevented; further, to provide inip'roved stopsor abutments for the edge of the pane; and to make provision for`"packing"7 the joint between the pane and the frames; also, to providean ornamental outer frame, combined with `the clamping or holding framesin an improved manner by means of spaced tapered yscrew fastening means.

The endless frames constituting the curtain light holder are sheet metalstampings, thus permitting their production at mini'- mum expense andassuring` perfect interchangeability Vwith substitute, corresponding,frames when necessary as also affording the requisite degree ofspringiness` 'to effect clamping action onthe pane and on thevfabric.

The outer fraine'is preferably corrugated and nrade into a'cross-sectionally bowed or dished shape having both of its longitudinaledges inturned'. Ah inset strip adapted to span or subtend this bowedprofile, is clinched between the respective inturned edges for the'purpose of imparting augniented rigidity and strength to the frainestructure.

A further feature of the present invention residesin the form andcooperation of the frames where they engage the curtain fabric, 'theaira'ngenientV and combination of parts being such that a snubbingaction results which prevents puckering, displacement, "or puiling"` outof the fabric.

lVhile it is preferable to employ resilient packing, for insta-'n'cetubular packing, between the inset strip and the pane to cushion theclamping action of theframe and afford a makiinul'n water-profitingofthc joint, nevertheless such packing is not essential and mayv bedispensed with but it is :preferable to provide the frames withcertaincorrugations to preventv buckling and tofafford requisitestrength without fle-- tracting froin the resilient grip of the framesvon the'pane as wellas to enablethe fraines'to gr-pthe pane inwardlyfrom the margin thereof and thusV minimize possibil- .ity of chippingor' breaking the pane.

At will be understood that modifications may be resortedt'oin carryingout the principle ofthe invention which is not restricted t0- the exactdetails hereinafter described and which are shown in the accompanyingdrawingsexcept as specifically set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a view looking toward theoutsi'de of the curtain light,certain parts being broken away to better illustrate the construction. l

Fig. Q is a View looking-toward the inside ofthe light, parts beingbroken away.'

Fig. 3 viewA showing the construction and action of the frames; and

Fig. 4; isa detail cross section of the con struction shown in Figs. l,.2 and 8, the packing being omitted.

is ay detail sectional perspective The glass pane or light is shown at land the curtain fabric at 2.

As is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the outer sheet metal finishing framemember 9 is provided with a cross-sectionally bowed shaped profile ofwhich both longitudinal edges are first slightly bent outwardly and awayfrom the dished contour of said frame into aligned ridge-likeprojections, whereupon these two outer ridge edges are then further benttoward each other to constitute the respective inturned lips or edges 9and 9". The inset strip 4 is made to span the. gap between theseinturned edges and subtend said bow profile. The innermost longitudinaledge 9 is Ashown fully clinched down upon the strip 4 while theoutermost edge 9`may only be partially clinched down and disposed on anincline to make an acute angle with respect to the face of the strip 4.Said lip 9 may also be fully clinched down against the inset strip if sodesired, but in either case, this partially or wholly clinched lip isintended 0 to be nested within a recess or groove 3" formed in the innerframe 3 and to co-act therewith to efliect a snubbing action withrespect to the interposed curtain fabric 2 in a manner that will be morefully set forth presently. lt will be observed that the innermostlongitudinal edge 9 is adapted to overlap and grip the margin of theouter side of the pane l.

The endless inner frame 3 and the endless dished outer frame 9 aredetachably connected together preferably by a plurality of taperedscrews 5 which screws loosely enter plain spaced openings in said innerframe 3 and engage their respective registering apertures formed in theinset strip of the outer frame 9; the marginal portions of the aperturesare given a peculiar formation in that each is provided with a suitablestruck up or pressed up thread-like distortion adapted to receive andengage its respective tapercc screw without resort to a conventionaltapping of the strip 4 or to the use of self-tapping screws or suchother means requiring the separate shaping up of each of the screwreceiving apertures. lt will be seen therefore that a further importantfeature of the present screw fastening means resides in initially sodistorting or shaping up the metal edge around the screw apertures inthe strip 4 as to constitute a threaded socket portion adapted toreadily receive and engage said tapered screws, but all withoutrequiring any substantial selftapping action on part of the screws. rlhedescribed simultaneous striking up or pressing up of all said threadformations in the relatively thin sheet metal is preferably performed bymeans of a stamping press while the inset strip 4 is still in theprocess of fabrication, as will readily be understood.

The screws 5, being tapered, the threads thereof cause the two frames tobe tightly sprung together when the screws are drawn down into place.

rlhe inner frame 3 and the inset strip 4 are each provided with fiatabutting surfaces 3, 4, respectively where the screws connect them sothat the frames may be drawn tonf'ard each other and inpart therequisite tension upon the margin of the pane. The curtain fabric 2 isdisposed along the concealed face of the inner frame 3 and the pointedscrews 5 serve to pierce through said fabric. rllhe fabric may con tinuedown to the inner edge of frame 8 as shown at 2 to be interposed betweenthe frame and the pane.

The inner frame 3 is provided with an offset danged part 3 ofrectangular profile adapted to clear the margin of the pane l and tocause the pane-gripping edge of said frame to exert its pressure againstthe pane along a line disposed iinvardly from the gin of the pane, thuspreventing the raping action from tending to chip or eak the paneJrlliis rectangular flanged 55 essentially comprises two legs of oneconstitutes an endless shoulder lement disposed substantiallynormal tothe ace of the pane and adapted to center the edge thereof while theother leg of said profile serves as the internal gripping flange for theinner face of the pane and this element is slightly inclined away fromthe face of said pane so as to impart augmented resiliency to the set ofcoi'nplei'nentary frames clamped about the margins of said pane.

lf desired, the inset strip 4 may be provided with a corrugation 4extending, generally, to the corrugation 3". n packing is preferablycontained in the corrugaion 4, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said packingbearing on the pane l and cushioning lthe. gripping action as well astending to render the joint more nearly water tight. lf such a packingbe interposed between the endless strip 4 and the face of the pane l, itmay be solid or tubular and is, preferably, of rubber having a certaindegree of elasticity and con'ipressibility with respect to the rigidpane.

As shown in Fig. 4, however, the packing 6 may be dispensed with and thegripping action of the clamped frames is then solely applied along theinner margin of said frame and inwardly of the outer' margin of thepane.

rlhe inset strip 4 is further provided with the flat surface portion 4and if desired this may be equipt with struck-up or integral tongues orstops "l" which overlie the margin of the pane l and constitute spacedabutments for centering the outer framel 9 with respect to the pane;several of waartoe' these stops 7 are provided and they are intended topierce the fabric. The inner frame 3 is provided with indented parts orcavities 8 which are adapted to receive the lips or stops 7, thusaccommodating the thickness of the said stops or lips withoutinterfering with the position and clamping action of the inner frame 3.The supplementary pane centering stops 7 are not essential elements andmay be dispensed with, since suitable means for properly centering thecomplementary frame members with re- "which is given a profile of suchshape as to snugly receive and hold the inturned longitudinal edge 9 ofthe outer frame in a nested relation when the two frame members arefirmly clamped together about the interposed fabric 2 by means oftapered screws such as 5. The endless recess 3 terminates in acircumscribing flange portion 3 which serves to bring the contour of theinner frame into substantial alignment with the plane of the curtainfabric 2 and provides fora smooth rounded edge for the entrance of thefabric into the complementary frame members.

rlhe endless outer finishing or ornamental frame 9 may be of anysuitable exterior form, but this frame is preferably Vmade bowed incross sectional profile in the manner described. The outer edge 9 of theframe 9 is preferably made of such shapeV and inclination that pressesthe fabric 2 firmly into the nested endless recess 3 as shown at 2whenthe parts are secured together as shown in Figs. 3 and 1l. Thecircuitous path given to the fabric at 2 and the pressure of theinturned edge 9, in connection with the sharp bend of the recess 3effects a gripping or snubbing action which minimizes the possibility offabric 2 slipping, puclrering, or pulling out and as a result, theframes are very securely connected to the fabric and by this means theinvention eliminates what has heretofore been a very troublesome defectin pane holding frames for automobile curtains. Furthermore, that thisgripping or snubbing action exists all. the way around the frames andthus prevents any tearing of the fabric 2 due to the jerks and flappingsto which curtains areA subject.

lt is pointed out that the particular type of detachable tapered screwsdisclosed in connection with Fig. l constitute a further importantfeature of the present invention. The conventional round headed woodscrew, preferably case hardened, may be used to advantage for thispurpose. As indicated in Fig. 2, a plurality of such screws may besuitably spaced about the contour of the clamped frame members with thehead thereof exposed and made accessible from the inside of the curtainfabric. rlhe narrow flat surface 3 of the inner frame is provided with aplurality of holes through which the tapered screw shank may be freelyentered while the abutting flat surface l of the inset strip is equiptwith registering apertures struck or pressed up into suitablethread-like distortions adapted to engage said screw shank. rlhe screwheads spanv said openings in the fiat surface t and shoulder against therespective edges of said holesE thereby drawing the flat frame partstogether and properly clamping the separable frames about the pane.

rl-lhe novelty and advantage of utilizing said tapered screws partlylies in the fact that such wood screws are not only pointed but areordinarily provided with an exceptionally coarse tapered thread for anygiven diameter, particularly so in smaller sizes such as are used forpresent purposes. The pitch between the threads of wood screws is fargreater than that of the corresponding size of the commercial machinescrew and as a result the thickness of the sheet metal is allowed tofreely drop and wedge between the coarsertaperedthreads and securelyengage therewith withoutthread interference. The tapered threads notonly better adjust themselves to the screw receiving aperture butprovide for a more substantial grip to the thin sheet metal of the insetstrip Ll than is afforded by the conventional threaded machine screwunder these conditions.

The point on said wood screw is also adapted to readily pierce theinterposed fabric 2 and facilitates the finding of the blinded stripaperture which is initially concealed behind the fabric, all of whichma-V terially reduces the time and expense required to assemble thecurtain window installation. Heietofore the use of the required largenumber of machine screws for fastening the curtain light frames togetherhas proven a rather objectionable feature when employed on a large scaleproduction and asseinbly basis, primarily because of the excessive timeelement and the extra expense connected with the use thereof. rlliedescribed tapered wood screw overcomes this defect and otherwise servesto improve the detachable securing means for the complementarv paneframe.

l claim:

l. ln a set of separable sheet metal frame members adapted to encompassand hold a pane therebetween, a cross-sectionally bowed outer framehaving both of its longitudinal edges inturned of which the innermostedge overlaps the margin of one side face of the pane, an inset stripadapted to span and be clinched between the respective inturned edges ofthe outer frame and having a shoulder corrugation adapted to center theedge of the pane, an inner frame adapted to overlap the margin of theopposite face of the pane, said last-named frame being provided with anintegral shoulder corrugation adapted to center the edge of the pane andwith an endless recess spaced from said shoulder and adapted to receiveand nest said inturned outermost edge of the outer frame, and means forfastening the frame members about the pane. y

2. ln a set of separable sheet metal frame members adapted to encompassand hold a pane therebetween, a cross-sectionally bowed outer framehaving both of its longitudinal edges inturned of which the innermostedge overlaps the margin of one side face of the pane, an inset stripadapted to span and be clinched between t-he respective inturned edgesof the outer frame, said strip being` provided with spaced screwreceiving apertures having their respective marginal edges struck up orpressed up into thread-like distortions, an inner frame adapted tooverlap the margin of the opposite face of the pane, said last namedframe being provided with an endless recess adapted to receive and nestsaid outermost inturned external edge of the outer frame, and taperedscrew means fastening the inner frame member to the inset strip andserving to hold the complementary frames in engagement about the pane.

3, A curtain window installation comprising a combination, an endlesscross-sectionally bowed sheet metal outer frame having both of itslongitudinal edges inturned of which the innermost edge is adapted tooverlap the margin of one side face of the pane, an inset strip providedwith screw receiving apertures initially struck up to constitutethread-like distortions about their' respective marginal edges, saidinset being adapted to span and be clinched between the respectiveinturned edges of said outer frame, an inner frame adapted to overlapthe margin of the opposite face of the pane, said inner frame beingprovided with a plurality of holes therethrough registering with saidapertures in the strip, and tapered screw means freelyentered throughsaid holes and engaging said respective distorted apertures, the pointsof said screws being protected by and concealed within said bowedportion of the outer frame.

a. A curtain window installation comprising a combination, an endlesscross-sectionally bowed sheet metal outer frame having both of itslongitudinal edges inturned of which the innermost edge is adapted tooverlap upon the margin of one side face of the pane, an inset stripprovided with screw receiving apertures initially struck up or pressedup to constitute a thread-like distortion about their respectivemarginal edges, said inset being adapted to span and be clinched betweenthe respective inturned edges of said outer frame, an inner frameadapted to overlap the margin of the opposite face of the pane, saidinner frame being provided with a plurality of holes therethroughregistering with said apertures in the strip, a curtain fabricinterposed between the inset strip and the inner frame, and taperedscrew means entered through said holes and piercing the fabric to engagethe respective distorted apertures in said strip, the points of saidscrews being protected by and concealed within said bowed portion of theouter frame.

ln a set of separable sheet metal frame members adapted to encompass andhold a pane therebetween, a cross-sectionally bowed outer frame havingboth of its longitudinai edges inturned of which the innermost edge isadapted to overlap the margin of one side face of the pane, an insetstrip clinched between said inturned edges to constitute an annular fiatsurface subtending said bowed portion of the outer frame, a plurality ofspaced screw receiving apertures being provided in said surface of thestrip, an inner frame adapted to overlap the margin of the opposite faceof the pane, an endless centering shoulder for the inner frame disposedsubstantially normal to the face of the pane and adapted to center theedge thereof, an integral flat surface being provided on the inner framedisposed around said centering shoulder and adapted to abut said flatsurface of the inset strip, a plurality of holes being provided in saidfiat face of the inner frame registering with said apertures in theinset strip, and headed screw fastening means, the threaded Shanks ofwhich freely enter said holes and engage said apertures while the screwheads shoulder against the respective edges of said holes to draw theframe members against the pane.

G. ln a set of separable sheet metal frame members adapted to encompassand hold a pane therebetween, a cross-sectionally bowed outer framehaving both of its longitudinal edges inturned of which the innermostedge is adapted to overlap the margin of one side face of the pane, aninset strip clinched between said inturned edges to constitute anannular iat surface subtending said bowed portion of the outer frame, aplurality of spaced screw receiving apertures being provided in saidflat surface of the strip, an

lll() inner fraine adapted to overlap the margin of the opposite face ofthe pane, and having an endless centering shoulder disposedsubstantially norn'ial to the face of the pane and adapted to center theedgek thereof, an integral flat surface being provided on the innerfralne disposed around said centering shoulder and adapted to abut saidflat sur face of the inset strip, a curtain fabric interposed betweensaid flat surface of the strip and that of the inner frame, a resilientpacking interposed between the inset strip and the margin of the pane, aplurality of holes being provided in said flat face of the inner frameregistering with said aperture in the inset strip, and pointed screwsserving to pierce the fabric, said screws being adapted to engage saidapertures and clamp said fabric and simultaneously hold the respectiveframes with said interposed packing against the pane.

7. In a window installation comprising separable frame ineinbers adaptedto hold a pane therebetween, a cross-sectionally bowed or dished sheetlnetal outer frame provided with an inset element having a screwreceiving aperture initially struck up or pressed up to constitute athread-like distortion about the marginal edge thereof, an inner frameprovided with a hole therethrough aligning with said aperture, and atapered screw nieans entered through said hole and adapted to engagesaid distorted aperture, the point of said screw projecting through saidinset and being concealed within said bowed portion of the outer frame.

8. ln a curtain light comprising separable fraine members adapted tohold a pane therebetween, an outer frame provided with a sheet metalinset having a plurality of screw receiving apertures each initiallystruck up or pressed up to constitute a thread-like distortion4 aboutthe marginal edge thereof, an inner fraine. provided with iolesrespectively registering with said apertures, a curtain fabricinterposed between the pane and one of said frames, and screwA fasteningnieans entered through the hoies and the fabric and adapted to engagetheir respective distorted apertures in said inset.

in testimony whereof I afiix iny signature.

DANIEL M. WINANS.

